Paint spray guns have long been used to effect uniform distribution of paint. Such paint spray guns are widely used in the automotive repair field,and other metal spraying situations.
In order to facilitate atomizing of the paint to provide a desired spray of paint on the surface to be painted, spray guns are formed with paint distribution nozzles, having relatively small discharge orifices. With the relatively small orifice spray nozzles employed, it is necessary to remove from the paint any particulate matter larger than the nozzle orifice so as to prevent nozzle clogging. To this end, the paint supplied to the gun is passed through filters to remove any undesired particles.
Further, gravity feed paint supply tanks are employed to fill the gun, requiring that the gun be held in position to be filled as the paint drains from the tank into the gun.
A typical paint sprayer employs a primary paint supply in the form of a manually manipulable can or the like container. This primary paint supply is filled with paint, which is passed through a filter as it is poured into the paint supply. The filtered paint supply container is then used to provide paint to a gravity feed paint tank which must then be supported while paint drains into the paint spray gun. The paint supplied to the gravity feed tank from the paint supply is also preferably passed through a filter.
In a typical auto body repair shop, the support of the primary paint supply with respect to a filter, and the subsequent filtering of the paint transferred from the paint supply to the gravity feed tank of the spray gun with subsequent draining of the paint from the gravity feed tank into the gun involves rather clumsy and time consuming manipulation of filters, paint supply cans and the gravity feed tank, with resultant inefficiencies of paint handling, and spillage of paint.